High Priest as Elders Quorum President

I am the Tech Specialist for my Stake and received a call from a clerk trying to enter a High Priest as an Elders Quorum President. This is a new calling in this ward. Has anyone performed this same type of change, and how? I know that on paper records this would have been easy enough, but software requires a little more exact obedience to what you can put in.
Thanks
Zane

Can a high priest be an elders quorum president?

In MLS, it may be possible to go to the high priests organization, find the person's name in the list, and click remove – it will prompt you asking which organization to move the person into. Once the person is listed in the elders quorum organization, he should be able to be added as president.

I say "may be possible" because this works for other organizations, like moving a young woman to Relief Society, but I've never tried moving a high priest to an elders quorum.

sbradshaw wrote:Can a high priest be an elders quorum president?

Handbook 2, Section 7.2.1 says: "The stake president calls an elder in each ward to be the elders quorum president."

In the section on adaptation (Section 17.2.3), we read: "...in no case should a single Melchizedek Priesthood quorum be established. As long as there are ordained elders and high priests in a ward, both an elders quorum and a high priests group should be organized."

Putting those two statements together, it seems clear to me that only an elder can be an elders quorum president. But I suppose that if the stake president is aware of these handbook provisions he could reach a different conclusion.

Is a Stake Technology Specialist responsible for answering such questions as how to use MLS or LCR to enter calling information?
I know in my stake, the STS is "the computer guy who knows everything about every computer and program."

I remember during the 2010 broadcast that introduced the new Handbook 1 and 2, President Monson described exactly this situation. I believe he referred to an article of some sort that talked about a former bishop who had recently been called as Elders Quorum President. He circled that fact in the article, and passed it on for corrective action.

drepouille wrote:I remember during the 2010 broadcast that introduced the new Handbook 1 and 2, President Monson described exactly this situation. I believe he referred to an article of some sort that talked about a former bishop who had recently been called as Elders Quorum President. He circled that fact in the article, and passed it on for corrective action.

I looked through the online transcript of that meeting and don't see what you're describing. Did I miss it somewhere?

https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/archive/ ... ng/2010/11

tracypzane wrote:I am the Tech Specialist for my Stake and received a call from a clerk trying to enter a High Priest as an Elders Quorum President. This is a new calling in this ward. Has anyone performed this same type of change, and how? I know that on paper records this would have been easy enough, but software requires a little more exact obedience to what you can put in.

MLS requires that the Elders Quorum President must (1) be male, (2) have been ordained an elder, (3) must be a member of the Church, (4) must be a member of the quorum, and (5) must be at least 16 years old.

The requirement that is tripping you up is probably #4 -- the member to be assigned must be a member of the quorum. The procedure sbradshaw described for moving the member from the high priest group to the elders quorum should solve the issue.

If the member has been ordained a high priest, requirement #2 (have been ordained an elder) is satisfied. The system will allow a priesthood holder who has been ordained an elder, seventy, high priest, or apostle to be assigned as quorum president. I interpret the handbook a little differently than aebrown on whether a high priest can serve as elders quorum president, but neither of us is the stake president in question.

scgallafent wrote:

drepouille wrote:I remember during the 2010 broadcast that introduced the new Handbook 1 and 2, President Monson described exactly this situation. I believe he referred to an article of some sort that talked about a former bishop who had recently been called as Elders Quorum President. He circled that fact in the article, and passed it on for corrective action.

I looked through the online transcript of that meeting and don't see what you're describing. Did I miss it somewhere?

https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/archive/ ... ng/2010/11

Perhaps that is not a complete transcript, or perhaps I am conflating two meetings. That anecdote may have been from a visiting Seventy during a stake conference soon after the new Handbooks were published. It's a good story. I just wish I could find a source for it besides my own feeble memory.

The thread title didn't make clear, but the OP seemed to be discussing the second topic here!

• 1) Should or could a HP be called as EQ president (doctrinal issue)
  2) How would a clerk record the calling of a HP as EQ president into the Church system (technical/computer MLS issue)

scgallafent wrote:I interpret the handbook a little differently than aebrown on whether a high priest can serve as elders quorum president, but neither of us is the stake president in question.

Upon further reflection, I think you have a great point, and since a high priest is indeed an elder, the handbook section I quoted would not prevent a high priest from serving as an EQ president.

aebrown wrote:

scgallafent wrote:. . . but neither of us is the stake president in question.

Upon further reflection, . . .

And MLS seems to agree. The trick is to get him into the quorum so his position can be recorded.

I'm not the stake president in question either, but I hope he asked his high priest to choose the two best elders in the quorum as his counselors and train one of them to be the new president as soon as possible. The other option I always preferred was to choose the best elder in the quorum to be the president, and assign the high priest to be his personal adviser.

But yes, a high priest could preside over a deacons quorum it needed. I'm glad I was never that desperate.

And the stake president has the keys.

I initially went with aebrown's first response, but also upon further reflection, I agree with his second response. I found this verse from the Doctrine and Covenants that helps: "High priests after the order of the Melchizedek Priesthood have a right to officiate in their own standing...and also in the office of an elder" (D&C 107:10).

Thank you gentlemen. I will pass your solutions along, and if anyone comes up with a better or definite way of getting MLS to accept this change please be sure to post it.

Zane

tracypzane wrote:if anyone comes up with a better or definite way of getting MLS to accept this change please be sure to post it.

I don't know what you would consider a "better" way, but the "definite" way that certainly works was posted by scgallafent here.